Study Desk

King Ben-Hadad's officers said to him, "The gods of Israel are mountain gods. We fought in a mountain area, so the Israelites won. If we fight them on level ground, we will win.

So in the spring, Ben-Hadad gathered the men of Aram and went to Aphek to fight against Israel.

A man of God came to the king of Israel with this message: "The Lord said, ‘The people of Aram said that I, the Lord , am a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys. So I will let you defeat this great army. Then all of you will know that I am the Lord , wherever you are!'"

Ben-Hadad's men wanted King Ahab to say something to show that he would not kill King Ben-Hadad. When Ahab called Ben-Hadad his brother, the advisors quickly said, "Yes! Ben-Hadad is your brother." Ahab said, "Bring him to me." So Ben-Hadad came to King Ahab. King Ahab asked him to get in the chariot with him.

Ben-Hadad said to him, "Ahab, I will give you the towns that my father took from your father. And you can put shops in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Ahab answered, "If you agree to this, I will let you go free." So the two kings made a peace agreement. Then King Ahab let King Ben-Hadad go free.

So the first prophet said, "You did not obey the Lord 's command. So a lion will kill you when you leave this place." When the second prophet left, a lion killed him.

So the prophet wrapped his face with a cloth. This way no one could see who he was. The prophet went and waited for the king by the road.

While I was busy doing other things, the man ran away." The king of Israel answered, "You admitted that you are guilty, so you know the answer. You must do what the man said."

Then the prophet said to the king, "The Lord says to you, ‘You set free the man I said should die. So you will take his place—you and your people will die!'"

So Ahab went home angry and upset because Naboth told him, "I will not give you my family's land." Ahab went to bed, turned away from everyone, and refused to eat.

So the elders and important men of Jezreel obeyed the command.

Then two men told the people that they heard Naboth speak against God and the king. So the people carried Naboth out of the city and killed him with stones.

So Ahab went to the vineyard and took it for his own.

Tell Ahab that I, the Lord , say to him, ‘Ahab! You killed the man Naboth and now you are taking his land. So I, the Lord , tell you this: Where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, they will lick up your blood as well.'"

So Elijah went to Ahab. When Ahab saw him, he said, "Well, my enemy has found me again!" Elijah answered, "Yes, I found you, because you have again sold yourself out to do what the Lord says is evil.

So this is what he says to you: ‘I will make something bad happen to you. I will kill you and every male in your family.

So Ahab sold himself out to do what the Lord says is evil. There is no one who did as much evil as Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who caused him to do these things.

"Look, Ahab has humbled himself before me. So I will not make that disaster happen during his lifetime. I will wait until his son is king. Then I will destroy his family."

Ahab asked his officials, "Remember when the king of Aram took Ramoth Gilead from us? That city is ours, so why have we done nothing to get it back?"

So Ahab asked King Jehoshaphat, "Will you join with us to go fight the Arameans at Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat answered, "Yes, you and I will be as one—my men and my horses will be as yours.